Whitepapers

From Sophos experts and leading industry analysts

Ransomware: Hijacking Your Data

Since 2011, users have increasingly seen messages warning that their computer is locked and demanding money in exchange for access to their PCs, purportedly from the FBI and police agencies. These are not the actions of law enforcement—but a type of malware called ransomware. Our experts at SophosLabs look in depth at ransomware variants and delivery mechanisms, and show how you can protect your data with a complete security strategy.

Choosing a Hosting Provider

Here are 10 questions you should be asking your hosting provider about features and services that will help to keep your site secure, covering general security practices, application security and operation of the site itself.

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms

The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms offers independent research and analysis of the top vendors in the endpoint market.

The Forrester Wave: Endpoint Security

Learn why Forrester Research, Inc. positions Sophos as a leader in endpoint security, and why we think we’re the best vendor for your business' endpoint security needs.

Healthcare Buyers Guide: Mobile Device Management

How do you enable secure access from mobile devices without hindering doctors on the job? In this guide we walk you through the factors you need to consider to find a mobile device management solution that best fits your needs.

Mobile Device Management Buyers Guide

In this guide we walk you through the factors you need to consider to find a mobile device management solution that best fits your needs.

Mobile Device Security: What's Coming Next?

Mobile devices and their rapid development are already helping busy professionals to conduct business and manage their personal lives on the move. But what key technologies are driving the mobile revolution, what happens next, and what are the security implications?

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection 

The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection offers independent research and analysis of the top vendors in the encryption market.

Thank You For Letting Me Steal Your Data...

We’ve seen plenty of news stories about organizations being hacked and losing data. But the fact is that the majority of attacks are actually rather simple and can be stopped by following simple security best practices. In this report we give you five tips to prevent attacks and data loss.

Malware B-Z: Inside the Threat From Blackhole to ZeroAccess

This SophosLabs whitepaper provides insight into two of the most commonly used and technically capable pieces of crimeware, the Blackhole exploit kit and the ZeroAccess rootkit.

Four Data Threats in a Post-PC World

This whitepaper explains the risks of four new data threats: BYOD, mobile devices, cloud storage and social networks. And we explain how to manage the challenges successfully with tips and policies you can enact in your organization.

Endpoint Buyers Guide

We give you independent test results to answer your questions about the top endpoint vendors, including Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, Sophos, Symantec and Trend Micro.

Ovum Rates Sophos Endpoint Protection

This technology audit from Ovum gives you a detailed description of Sophos Endpoint Protection, including a complete product review and recommendations based on independent analysis.

Keeping Data Safe When Using Mobile Devices

Download this whitepaper to worry less and accomplish more.

Adopting Cloud Services with Persistent Encryption

Today your users are working everywhere, so you need to make sure your data protection works everywhere too.

Closing the Back Door on Network Application Vulnerabilities 

Every organization with a website is vulnerable to web server attacks. In this paper we'll explain how you can close and lock the back door to your network, to keep malware out and your data safe.

Next-Gen Firewall and UTM Buyers Guide 

This buyers guide can help you in your search for the best UTM. It gives you detailed checklists to help you identify and evaluate the security capabilities you need.

Top 5 Myths of Safe Web Browsing 

You think you're web users are secure. But you might not know that common myths about safe browsing could put you at risk. We explain the top five myths and give you the facts.

Data Protection in the UK Public Sector

In this whitepaper, we look at how the public sector in the UK is shaping up based upon a recent survey, and give some simple steps to improving data security.

Fixing Your Dropbox Problem: How the Right Data Protection Strategy Can Help

This whitepaper explains the risks of consumer file-sharing services and the public cloud. And it gives you easy steps to take to protect your data and fix your Dropbox problem.

Five Tips to Reduce Risk From Modern Web Threats 

User education and awareness, preventive measures and a modern web security solution are all integral components of a comprehensive defense against today's web threats. This guide covers some essential preventive measures you should implement to reduce your risk and keep ahead of the threats as much as possible.

Security Threat Report 2012

See the threats through the hype, with the latest research and commentary from SophosLabs.

Securing the Mobile Workforce: Protecting the workplace in the new age of touchscreen computing

This whitepaper explains the risks and benefits of enabling your workforce to use touchscreen smarthpones and tablets and what you need to do to keep your data secure.

Six Tips for Choosing a UTM Solution

This whitepaper offers you detailed advice on how to choose the comprehensive unified threat management (UTM) that best suits your business.

Buyers Guide to Web Protection

This buyers guide can help you in your search for the best web protection. It gives you detailed checklists to help you identify and evaluate the security capabilities you need.

Info-Tech Vendor Landscape: Endpoint Encryption

Download this report to find out which endpoint encryption product meets your needs. And discover why Info-Tech ranks us Champions in the marketplace.

Endpoint Buyers Guide Featuring Gartner Research

This buyers guide explains what you need from your EPP, what technology is available in today's more sophisticated products, and what questions to ask vendors to get the right fit for your business.

The 4 Rules of Complete Web Protection 

We explain today's major web threats and give you our four rules of complete web protection. And we show you what tools you need to get the job done simply.

Botnets: The Dark Side of Cloud Computing

This paper details how you can protect against the risk of botnet infection using security gateways that offer comprehensive unified threat management (UTM).

Simplifying Branch Office Security

This paper introduces a new standard—an innovative, unified, cost-effective solution for managing branch office security, with centralized reporting and a clear process for determining return on investment (ROI).

8 Things Senior Managers Need to Know About Data Encryption

Here are eight things senior managers need to know about encryption to protect data.

Protecting Personally Identifiable Information: What data is at risk and what you can do about it

This whitepaper examines the challenges of data security and the steps you can take to protect personally identifiable information.

3 Simple Steps to Better Patch Security

In this whitepaper we explain how three best practices for patch assessment can improve your security and compliance.

Vendor Landscape: Endpoint Anti-Malware

This report by Info-Tech Research Group compares and ranks endpoint anti-malware products based on a systematic evaluation and scoring methodology.

8 Threats Your Antivirus Won't Stop: Why you need endpoint security

This paper outlines eight common threats that traditional antivirus alone won't stop, and explains how to protect your organization using endpoint security.

Consumerization of IT: Featuring expert analysis from Gartner

You don't have to do it alone—see what company leaders and security experts are saying.

Stopping Fake Antivirus: How to Keep Scareware off Your Network

This paper provides insight into where fake antivirus comes from and how it is distributed, what happens when a system is infected with fake antivirus, and how to stop this persistent threat from infecting your network and your users.

Using Application Control to Reduce Risk with Endpoint Security

Unwanted and unauthorized applications not only result in productivity loss but can also increase your company's risk of malware infection and data loss. Read this paper to learn how endpoint security solutions that have application control provide the most comprehensive defense against unauthorized applications.

Top 10 tips to Avoid the Information Commissioner’s Wrath

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office can levy fines of up to £500,000 for data breaches, which proves data security is essential. And while it’s not illegal in the UK to lose data—regulators understand there is no 100% in security—you do need to demonstrate you’re managing information risks responsibly. Read this paper to get the key items you should cover to avoid the ICO’s wrath in 2011.

7 Tips for Securing Mobile Workers

Learn how to reduce mobile security risks and keep your business data protected.

The State of Data Security: Defending against new risks and staying compliant

This report helps you recognize how your data can become vulnerable, including the latest issues stemming from unprotected data on mobile devices and social media sites. Understand the compliance issues involved, and identify data protection strategies you can use to keep your company’s information both safe and compliant.

Protection for Mac and Linux Computers: Genuine need or nice to have?

The current risk to computers running non-Windows platforms is small but growing. As Mac and Linux computers become more prevalent within organizations, they are likely to become more of a target for hackers as a way in to the rest of the network and a means of infecting websites. This paper investigates the real threat from non-Windows platforms. It discusses the dangers of them distributing Windows viruses, examines the implications of their growing popularity, and highlights regulatory pressure to protect them.

Top Four Considerations for Securing Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is now the standard for internal and external collaboration and content management in much the same way Microsoft Exchange has become the enterprise standard for email. And like Exchange, SharePoint comes with a similar set of adoption challenges: The need to maximize ROI, protect against malware and data loss and establish policies for governance and compliance. This whitepaper examines SharePoint's key risks and recommends best practices to secure SharePoint and protect your organization's digital assets.

Malicious JavaScript Attacks: What Can You Do?

As an IT manager, you need to be able to effectively secure all of the websites you manage to avoid attack and the subsequent infection of site visitors. You also need to protect the users within your organization from becoming victims of malware. Organizations can use specific technologies and layered protection strategies to safeguard websites and shield employees. We'll review what to watch for, as well as the security strategies that will help keep you safe.

Security Threat Report: 2011

We will remember 2010 as a year in which our interaction with technology, and with each other, evolved due to the widespread adoption of social media and the use of innovative mobile devices.

Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms 

Malware effectiveness continues to accelerate, while vendors are busy polishing increasingly ineffective solutions and doing little to fundamentally reduce the attack surface and protect users.

Why Hackers Have Turned to Malicious JavaScript Attacks

Find out how criminals use malicious JavaScript for profit and how it impacts your business.

Strategies for Protecting Virtual Servers and Desktops

Over the past few years, virtualization technology transformed the data center. Server virtualization enables multiple virtual servers to run off the computing power of one physical server; and due to the well-established cost benefits, this technology has become widely adopted. Now, enterprises are looking to extend these benefits to virtual desktops.

A Practical Guide to Keeping Your Virtual Data Center Safe

In the past few years, virtualization transformed the data center. It is now a primary supporting platform for many enterprises. A wide variety of virtualization technologies are available, but only a small number of these technologies have made it to mainstream deployment.

Healthcare Security and Compliance Guide

This guide examines the global regulatory landscape, common pain points for healthcare-based organizations, specific technical and operational security best practices, and strategies for long-term success. In addition, you'll find checklists and templates that can save you time and maximize productivity.

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